Accounting machine



F. v. FREEBORN 2,304,449

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Dec. 8, 1942.

Filed April 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 TELL 102 ID INVENPR ATTORNEY Mrw1942- F. v. FREEBORN 2,304,449

ACCOUNTING momma Filed April 6. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I06 BY A'fTORNEYDec. 8, 1942. v FREEBQRN 2,304,449

ACCOUNTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 6, 1939 AT'i'ORNEY Dc.8,1942. F. v. FREEBORN 5 2,304,

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1939 5 Shasta-Sheet 5 000 as 999 44wow-6' f \NVE NTOR Af'roRNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1942 ACCOUNTING MACHINEFrederic Victor Freeborn, Letchworth, England, assignor to InternationalBusiness Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application April 6, 1939, Serial No. 266,354 In Great BritainApril 28, 1938 4 Claims.

This invention relates to calculating machines and has for its object toprovide means by which an amount obtained in such a machine can berounded off to the next higher round value.

According to the present invention, a calculating machine comprises anamount register for an amount to be rounded off, a figure register foran adjustment figure, differencing means for obtaining automatically thedifference between a lower portion of the amount in the amount registerand the figure in the figure register, adding means for addingautomatically the said difference to the said lower portion of theamount, and means operable under the control of the amount register toprevent operation of the adding means when said lower portion of theamount is zero. The said lower portion of the amount is that portion ofthe amount which requires adjustment in order to round off the amount,and the adjustment figure" is the difference between two consecutiverounded-off amounts. Thus, if the amount is a period of time in hoursand minutes and is to be rounded off to the next higher hour, theadjustment figure will be one hour, and the lower portion of If theminutes por- I The arrangement set out in the preceding paragraph isapplicable where the adjustment figure is a unit, such as an hour, inthe notation of the amount, but is not applicable where the adjustmentfigure is a fraction, such as quarter of an hour, in the notation of theamount. In order that the machine may deal with the case when theadjustment figure is a fraction of a unit, the differencing means may bearranged also to obtain the differences between the said lower portionof the amount and the multiples of the figure from twice the figure tothe lowest multiple which is equal to a unit in the notation of theamount, inclusive, and the adding means may be arranged to add thesmallest said diflcrence to the said lower portion of the amount.purpose the differencing means may comprise an accumulator, meansoperable to enter the said lower portion of the amount, and the figure,into the accumulator in such manner as to obtain the difference betweenthem, means for thereafter For this entering the figure repeatedly intothe accumulator in such manner as to obtain, at each entry, thedifference between the difference in the accumulator and the figure, andcontrol means op erable under the control of the accumulator tointerrupt the entries of the figure when the difference in theaccumulator is a complement or is a true number (as may bepredetermined), and the adding means may be arranged to add thedifference, remaining in said accumulator after the last entry of thefigure, to the lower portion of the amount. The control means should bearranged to operate when the difference is the complement if the figureis subtracted from the lower portion of the amount and to operate whenthe difference is a true number if the lower portion of the amount issubtracted from the figure. The machine will be arranged to operate inone or other of these alternative manners as may be found mostconvenient in practice. In this manner the machine is caused to obtainfirst the difference between the lower portion of the amount and thefigure, then the difference between the lower portion of the amount andtwice the figure, and so on. The number of such successive differencingoperations which the machine must be arranged to perform is equal to thenumber of times which the adjustment figure will go into the next higherunit of the notation of the amount.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, as applied to a record card controlled tabulating machineand with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 1a together form a circuit diagram of mechanism foradjusting a period of time to the next higher Quarter hour.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic showing of an accumulator and cyclingmechanism.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show three numerical examples of the operation of themechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 10,.

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of fugitive one entering mechanism.

The invention will be described as applied to the tabulating machineknown commercially as the Hollerith Rolling total machine. A machine ofthis kind is described in Patent 2,174,699, granted to H. H. KeenOctober 3, 1939, which corresponds to British patent specification No.422,135, to which reference may be had for a detailed explanation of thearrangement and operation of the machine.

The machine is controlled by record cards which may be arranged ingroups. As each card passes conventional lower brushes, the amount on itcan be read and entered into an accumulator in the machine. Normallyfour or six such accumulators are provided. The amount read from thecard may also be printed by printing mechanism which is divided intoprinting banks. When the last card of a group has passed the lowerbrushes, conventional automatic group control mechanism comes intoaction in a known manner and initiates one or more total taking cycles.

The present machine is provided with a minor multi-contact relay. Thisrelay is under the control of the automatic group control mechanism and,when a minor group change occurs, the minor multi-contact relay isenergized.

The accumulators are conventional Hollerith accumulators and arecontrolled by accumulator magnets CT (Fig. 2) of which there is one foreach denomination of the accumulator. As usual, each magnet, whenenergized. causes the entry of a digit into its denomination of itsaccumulator, and the value of the digit depends upon the time at whichthe magnet is energized. In Fig. 1 there are shown three magnets CT ofaccumulators I, 2 and 3, which accumulators are designated accumulatorI, accumulator 2 and accumulator 3. Each of these accumulators isarranged to sum hours and minutes and is provided with two denominationsfor registering the minutes and a number of higher denominations ofwhich only one is shown for registering the hours. Each denominationcomprises an accumulator wheel, and the units of minutes and hourswheels are arranged to complete a revolution in ten steps so as to acidfrom to 9 and then turn to 0. The tens of minutes wheel is arranged tocomplete a revolution in six steps so as to add from 0 to and then turnback to 0. In the drawings the highest magnet CT in each group controlsthe units of hours denominations, the next lower magnet controls thetens of minutes and the lowest controls the units of minutesdenomination.

Each accumulator is provided with a conventional reading-out mechanism.As these mechanisms are identical, only that for accumulator I will bedescribed. This mechanism comprises a brush I0 (see Fig. 2) for eachdenomination which moves in step with the accumulator wheels to connecta common strip II to one of ten segments I2. In the case of the tens ofminutes denomination there are only six segments I2a (see Fig. 1). Eachsegment I2 or I2a corresponds to a different digit and the arrangementis such that each brush III connects the segment I2 or I20.corresponding to the digit registered in its denomination to the relatedcommon strip II. All the segments I2 corresponding to the same digit inone accumulator are connected together and to the center blade of relaycontacts IDda. The circuits continue through the normally closedcontacts IDdo and wires I3 to an emitter EIII. This emitter EIO as wellas emitter EB (Fig. l) are located in the machine and driven in the samemanner as emitters EI and E2 of Patent #2,1'74,699 (see Fig. 4 thereof).This emitter rotates in synchronism with the operation of theaccumulators and the printing mechanism so as to connect each row ofsegments I2 corresponding to a particular di it in circuit at the timein the cycle appropriate to that digit. If a brush III e ages a segmentI2 for a particular digit, the circuit will be continued through thisbrush and the segment II, so as to transmit an electrical impulse timedto represent the digit registered in the accumulator. This impulse canbe employed to control an accumulator magnet in the same or anotheraccumulator to cause the addition of the digit or to control theprinting mechanism to print that digit.

If the contacts ID Ia are shifted, the connections will be changed in acomplementary manner, so that the impulse transmitted will represent thenines complementary digit to the digit registered in the accumulator.Thus, it is possible to read out of the accumulator either the amountregistered in that accumulator or the nines complement of the amountregistered in that accumulator. The segments I2a are connected in asimilar manner through contacts IDSa. That is, the segments I2a areconnected through normally closed relay contacts ID5a to correspondinglynumbered segments of an emitter E8. If the contacts ID5a are shifted,the connections will be changed in a complementary manner, so that thenumber read out is the fives complement of the number standing onsegments I2a. This order being the tens of minutes order does not recordhigher than 5 and transfers when it passes from 5 to 0.

Each accumulator has six multi-contact relays associated with it. Theserelays will be referred to as distributors. and the contacts IBM andIDia of the distributors ID! and IDB have already been referred to.Distributors IDB, ID2, ID3, IDA and ID5 are associated with accumulatorI; distributors 2D0, 2B2, 2B3, 2B4 and 2D5 are associated withaccumulator 2, and distributors 3Dll, 3D2, 3B3, 3B4 and 3135 areassociated with accumulator 3. The functions of these distributors areas follows: As previously explained. the distributors ID and ID5 cause,when energized, the nines complement of the amount in accumulator I tobe read out. The distributors 2D! and 2D5 serve the same function foraccumulator 2, and the distributors 3D4 and 3D5 perform the samefunction for accumulator 3. The distributors IDll, 2Dil and 3D!) serve,when energized,

- each to connect sockets TS (Fig. 1) associated with its accumulator tothe reading-out mechanism of that accumulator. From the sockets TS ofthe particular accumulator, plug connections can be made to sockets R ofanother accumulator. The distributors ID2, 2D2 and 3B2, when energized,serve each to connect the sockets R of the associated accumulator to themagnet CT of that accumulator through th normally closed contacts ID3a,2D3a or 3D3a. Thus, in Fig. l. the sockets TS of accumulator 3 areconnected to the sockets R of accumulator 2. If the distributors 3D0 and2D2 are energized, a circuit can be completed through the reading-outmechanism of accumulator 3, the normally open contacts 3Dca, the socketsTS of accumulator 3, plug connections 20, the sockets R of accumulator2, the contacts 2133a and 2D2a and the accumulator magnet CT ofaccumulator 2. In this manner the amount standing in accumulator 3 istransferred to accumulator 2 and added to the amount initiallyregistered in accumulator 2. If the distributors 3D4 and 3D5 had beenenergized, the nines complement of the amount in accumulator 3 wouldhave been transferred to accumulator 2 and added to the amount inaccumulator 2. This is equivalent to subtracting the amount inaccumulator 3 from the amount in accumulato 2, so that accumulator 2will be left registerin the difference between these amounts.

From the foregoing it will be seen that, if an accumulator is to receivean amount from another accumulator, its distributor ID2, 2D2 or 3D2 isenergized. If an accumulator is to transmit an amount additively toanother accumulator, its distributor lDll, ZDO or 3B0 is energized. Ifan accumulator is to transmit an amount subtractively to anotheraccumulator, its distributors IDU, |D4 and IDS or 2Dfl, 2D4 and ZDI or3B0, 3B4 and 3D5 are energized.

When it is desired to reset an accumulator, its distributors ID2, ID3,ID4 and ID5 or 2D2, 2D3, 2D4 and 2B5 or 3D2, 3D3, 3D4 and 3D5 areenergized. This has the effect of connecting the accumulator magnets ofthe accumulator to the reading-out mechanism of that accumulator andalso adjusting the reading-out circuits, so that the impulsestransmitted represent the complement of the amount in the accumulator.In other words, the accumulator subtracts the amount it contains.

The subtraction is performed by adding the nines complement, and it istherefore necessary to enter the so-called fugitive unit. as is wellknown. Normally, this is effected by arranging for the highestdenomination of the accumulator to transfer to the lowest denominationof the accumulator so that, when the accumulator wheel for the highestdenomination turns from 9 to zero, one unit is added to the lowestdenomination by a tens carry operation. This will leave the accumulatorregistering either the true amount if it is positive or the ninescomplement of the true amount if that amount is negative. If anaccumulator is reset, the addition of the complement will leave itregistering the nines complement of zero and no transfer will take placefrom the highest wheel. Special provision is made for entering thefugitive unit under these conditions, in order that the accumulator maybe reset to zero.

The fugitive one entering mechanism is shown in Fig. 6 in which 2represents the well known carry lever latches in the highest and lowestorders of an accumulator. When the highest order wheel passes from 9 to0, its latch 2 lowest order will cause a "1 to be entered, as is wellknown. Disposed beneath plate 4 is a magnet designated ZFU which, ifenergized, will depress lever 2 for the same purpose of entering anelusive one. The magnet is used to enter a one during resettingoperations will be explained.

The printing mechanism is of the kind normally employed in Hollerithtabulating machines and is controlled by printing magnets PR. As isusual. the time in the cycle at which each magnet PR is energizeddetermines the digit which will be printed under the control of thatmagnet. In Fig. 1 two banks of printing magnets PR are shown. and thesebanks will be referred to as bank 2 and bank 3. Distributor 213! isassociated with printing bank 2 and the distributor 3D| is associatedwith printing bank 3. The distributor 2D! must be energized when it isdesired to print a total by means of printing bank 2, and thedistributor 3Dl must be energized when it is desired to print a total bymeans of the printing bank 3.

In addition to the distributors, the machine is provided with threedistributing relays DB3, DB4

and DRE which are not associated with any acoperation by a manual key'15.

cumulator. The normally open contacts DR3a of the relay DB3 are insertedin the plug connections 2| between the sockets TS of accumulator 2 andthe sockets R of accumulator 3, so that the amount in accumulator 2 canbe transferred to accumulator 3 if the distributing relay DB3 isenergized. The normally closed contacts DRia, of the distributing relayDB5 are connected in the plug connections 22 between the sockets TS ofaccumulator I and the sockets R of accumulator 2, so that the transfercan be made from accumulator l to accumulator 2, provided thedistributing relay DRE is deenergized. It should be mentioned that theplug connections 22 are made for each denomination of accumulators I and2, whereas the plug connections 20 and 2| are made only for the twolower denominations, that is, the tens and units of minutesdenominations. of accumulators 2 and 3. The center blades of thecontacts DR4a are connected by plug connections 23 to sockets 24associated with accumulator 3. The normally closed contacts DRAa areplug connected by connections 25 to the normally open contacts 2Dlawhile the normally open contacts DR4a are plug connected to the normallyopen contacts 3Dla. The plug connections 23 connect the contacts DR4a tothe reading-out mechanism of accumulator 3. If the distributing relayDB4 is deenergized and the distributor 2Dl is energized, the magnets PR.of the printing bank 2 are connected to the readingout mechanism ofaccumulator 3, so that the amount in accumulator 3 can be printed. Ifthe distributing relay DB4 and the distributor 3D! are both energized,the magnets PR of the printing bank 3 will be connected to thereading-out mechanism of accumulator 3. and the amount registered inaccumulator 3 can be printed by the printing bank 3. The distributingrelay DR4 thus determines Whether the amount in accumulator 3 shall beprinted by the printing bank 2 or by the printing bank 3.

The arrangement of the accumulators, reading-out mechanism anddistributors is substantially the same as that described in the priorspecification aforesaid, and reference may therefore be made to thisspecification for more detailed explanation of the operation of itsparts. The manner in which the various distributors and distributingrelays are energized selectively will now be described.

It has previously been mentioned that the machine is provided with minormulti-contact rclays. The contacts of the minor relay are shown in laand are des gnated Mi. If a minor group change occurs, all the contactsMi will close. The coil of the distributor [D0 will then be connectedthrough the now closed contact Mi to a socket 21. For the purposes ofthe present invention, no plug connection is required to socket 2'! asmagnet ID!) is not utilized.

It may be explained that, in order to simplify the disclosure. theseveral contacts M are i lustrated as being connected together forcommon It will also be assumed that initial entries into theaccumulators are manually made as by turning the indicating wheelsforwardly but it will he understood that such initial entries may bemade under rec 0rd card control in the well known manner. In otherwords. the invention as herein disclosed is devoid of all automaticcontrol features. Three accumulators and a printing mechanism areutilized and are driven in unison from a common source of power so thatthey are in continuous operation. The accumulators each receive aninitial entry by manual adjustment of their indicating wheels and afterswitch T2 (Fig. 1) is closed and the Mi contacts are shifted, the clutchreleasing finger 88 (Fig. 2) is operated.

Referring now to Fig. 2, 16 represents the accumulator drive shaft whichmay be in constant rotation, each rotation being designated a cycle ofoperation. Shaft 16 corresponds to the shaft I3 of Patent #2,l74,699,shown in Fig. 4 thereof, and this shaft 5I3 rotates as long as the mainclutch of the machine remains engaged. As explained in the patent, shaft5I3 rotates durin the whole time that the machine is in operation. Fig.4 of the patent also shows the location on the corresponding shaft 5I3of gears 5M which correspond to gears III of Fig. 2. When any magnet CTis energized, it causes tripping of the clutch TI to drive gear 18 whichin turn drives the indicating wheel 19 and gear 80 which'carries thebrush structure I0. As explained, the units of minutes and hourdenominational wheels 19 are arranged to advance in increments ofonetenth of a revolution for each unit entered, while the tens ofminutes wheel 19a is arranged to advance in increments of one-sixth of arevolution for each unit entered therein.

After an initial entry has been made in each of the three accumulatorsin accordance with a particular problem, as will be explained, themachine is to enter upon a succession of calculating cycles during whichtransfer operations will take place according to the pluggingarrangement. In the complete machine such cycles are automaticallyinitiated upon a group change but for the purposes of the presentdisclosure there is shown a diagrammatic arrangement whereby the cyclesmay be manually initiated. A gear 8| secured to shaft I6 drives a gear82 with a ratio of :1 so that during one complete rotation of gear 82,shaft I6 makes ten revolutions. Integral with gear 82 is a clutch disk83 having a notch 84. The gear 82 is free on a shaft 85 to which issecured an arm 86 whose free end supports a spring-pressed clutch dog 81normally held in the position shown.

Operation of a key 88 will rock lever 89 to release dog 81 forengagement with disk 83 whereupon the arm 86 and shaft 85 will rotatewith gear 82. Also secured to shaft 85 and insulated therefrom is abrush structure 90, one of whose brushes cooperates with a collectorring 9| and the other with ten segments 92, so that during each of theten cycles now following the brush 90 will connect a different segment92 with the ring 9 I. After the shaft 85 has made a completerevolut-ion, the dog 8'! will engage lever 89 to effect declutching ofthe parts.

In Fig. 1a the parts 90, 9| and 92 are represented diagrammatically toindicate that brush 9!! successively traverses the segments 92 in theorder 10, 9, 8, etc. Each segment 92 is wired to a relay magnetgenerally designated C so that throughout each of the ten cycles one ofthe magnets CID, G9, etc., is energized to close its related contactsCllla, 09a, etc., each of which contacts has a blade thereof connectedto a plug socket 93.

If it is desired to energize the distributor ID!) in a particular cycle,the socket 21 Will be plug connected to socket 93 of the pair ofcontacts of the C relay which is energized in that cycle. Thedistributor ID!) will then be energized in that cycle. For the purposesof the operations to be described later, it is not necessary to energizethe distributor IDB, so that no plug connections have been made to thesocket 21.

The circuit arrangement for the distributor IDB is repeated for thedistributor ID2 and also for a relay IS and a relay IR. The distributorIDII can thus be energized in any total taking cycle, as these tenspecial cycles will hereinafter be called, to cause accumulator I totransmit an amount additively to another accumulator. In the same waythe distributor ID2 can be energized to cause accumulator I to accept anamount from another accumulator. The relay IS can be energized in orderto cause accumulator I to transmit an amount subtractively to anotheraccumulator. When energized, this relay closes its contacts ISa toenergize the distributor IDO and its contacts ISb to energize thedistributors ID l and ID5. As previously mentioned, the energization ofthe distributors IDII, ID4 and ID5 conditions accumulator I to transmitan amount subtractively. The relay IS is provided in order to simplifythe plugging of the machine and make it possible to conditionaccumulator I to transmit an amount subtractively under specifledconditions with the insertion of a single plug connection only. Therelay IR controls the resetting of accumulator I and, when energized,closes its contacts IE0, IE2) and IE0 to energize the distributors ID2,ID3, ID4 and ID5. The relay IR is also used to simplify the plugging ofthe machine.

It will be noticed that the distributor IS is connected to contacts CIaby a plug connection 32 to the plug socket 33, so that the relay IS willbe energized in cycle 1 on a group change. Plug connections 34 connectthe socket 33 to contacts (36a, 05a, 04a, so that the relay IS will alsobe energized in cycles 6, 5 and 4 on group change. This plugging ensuresthat accumulator I will be conditioned to transmit an amountsubtractively in cycles 6, 5, 4 and 1 when a minor group change occurs.

The circuits for the distributors associated with accumulators 2 and 3are the same as those of the distributors associated with accumulator I,and accumulators 2 and 3 also have associated relays 28, 2B and 3S, 3Rcorresponding to the relays IS and IR. The manner in which the plugconnections are made in respect of accumulators 2 and 3 will be apparentfrom the description of the operation of the machine which will follow.

The distributors 2DI and 3DI, which are associated with the two printingbanks, are also connected to contacts Mi in the manner described abovewith reference to the distributor IDII, so that these distributors canbe energized in any cycle on a group change.

It will be assumed that the machine is employed for the purpose ofcalculating the total number of hours worked by employees in a week, andthat the weekly total is to be rounded off to the next higher quarter ofan hour. The period of fifteen minutes will be referred to as theadjustment figure and accumulator I is employed as a register for thisfigure. The total hours worked will be accumulated in accumulator 3which will be referred to as the amount accumulator, while accumulator 2is employed to obtain the amount which is to be added to the actual timeworked, in order to obtain the rounded-off time. Accumulator 2 will bereferred to as the difference accumulator.

Accumulator I will first be adjusted to contain therein the adjustmentfigure which, for example, may be 15 representing fifteen minutes. Ac-

attain cumulator 2 will be adjusted to represent the nines complement ofthis adjustment figure which for fifteen minutes will be 99944, andaccumulator 3 will be adjusted to register an amount representing totaltime worked, for example, 48 hours and 54 minutes. It will beappreciated, of course, that these entries may be made under control ofperforated records from one of which the entry of the adjustment figureand its complement may be made, while the time worked may represent atotal obtained from a group of cards.

The minor control key 15 (Fig. la) is now operated to close and holdclosed the Mi contacts and the machine is ready to begin the operationof rounding oil the total time in accumulator 3. These operations areinitiated by operation of key 83 which releases the brush 90 for arevolution or ten accumulator cycles. For the present problem, cycles10, 9 and 8 are idle cycles as no plug connections are made to theirsockets 33.

The amounts standing in the accumulators are indicated along the firstline of Fig. 3.

During cycle 7, a circuit will be established from left side of line I02(Fig. la), collector ring 9|, brush 90, segment 92 ('7), relay magnet C1to line I00. A circuit will then be established through contacts Cla,plug connection 40, socket IOI, contacts Mi, the distributor 2D2 to leftside of line I02, so that the accumulator 2 will be conditioned toaccept an amount. A second circuit will be established through contactsCIb. a plug connection 4|, socket I03, contacts Mi and the distributor3D0, so that accumulator 3 will be conditioned to transmit an amountadditively. The amount will be transmitted over the plug connections 20(Fig. 1) to accumulator 2 and will consist of the minutes digitsregistered in accumulator 3. This is shown in Fig. 3 in the row labeledcycle 7, and it will be seen that the minutes 54 is entered intoaccumulator 2 and added to the complement 99944 already in thataccumulator. This is equivalent to subtracting 15 minutes from theactual minutes in the time worked and leaves accumulator 2 registering39 minutes. It will be noted that the addition of 54 to 99944 resultedin the transfer from the highest wheel of the accumulator, and thistransfer is made to the lowest wheel. In Fig. 3 the transferred unit isshown to the left of the total and has been added in. The

transfer circuits are traceable in Fig. 1 as follows: 51'

from'line I00, emitter E10, wires I3 of accumulator 3, normally closedcontacts 3D4a, segments I2, brushes I to strips II of the first andthird orders. A parallel circuit extends from line I00, emitter E6,contacts 3D5a to segments l2a, brush III to strip II of the second ortens of minutes order. From here the circuits extend to lower (nowclosed) contacts 3D0a, sockets TS, plug connections 20 (in the twolowest orders only), sockets R of accumulator 2, upper contacts 2D3a,upper contacts 2D2a (now closed), magnets CT to line I02.

The cycle relay CI also closes its contacts CIc to complete a circuitincluding a plug connection 42 (Fig. la) through the distributor 2DItraceable from contacts C'Ic, connector 42, socket I04, contacts Mi,magnet 2DI to line I02. The distributing relay DRA is not energized inthis cycle, so that its contacts DR4a are as shown in Fig. 1. With thecontacts 2DI shifted, the magnets PR of printing bank 2 are connected tothe reading-out mechanism of accumulator 3, so that the actual timeworked will be printed by printing bank 2 under the control ofaccumulator 3. This is indicated in Fig. 3 by the fligures48 54 toaccumulator '3.

under the heading Bank 2" and opposite the cycle '1. The printingcircuits are traceable from the common strips II of accumulator 3 tosockets 24, connections 23, upper contacts DRAa, upper contacts 2D|a(now closed), print magnets PR of banks 2 to line I02.

Thus, at the end of cycle '7, the machine has subtracted, in accumulator2, 15 from 54 and obtained a positive difference of 39. The machine willnow n eeeed to subtract 15 from the amount in accumulator 2 repeatedlyuntil a negative diflercnce is obtained. This negative difference theamount which, when added to the actual time in accumulator 3. will roundit off to the next highei hour. In effect, the machine subtracts l5, 36,i5 and 60 from the minutes in the actual time worked and adds thesmallest negative diilerunce to the actual time worked. It will beappreciated that this is equivalent to subtracting the minutes in theactual time worked from 15, 30, and and adding the smallest positivedifierence to the actual time worked. In either case, the differencebetween the actual time worked and twice the adjustment figure, threetimes the adjustment figure and four times the adjustment figure arecalculated, and it is a matter of convenience whether the actual timeshould be subtracted or whether the adjustment figure and its multiplesshould be subtracted. The latter procedure is preferable, as it involvesthe least departure from standard practice in the machine.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that in cycles 6, 5 and 4, thecomplement of the adjustment figure in accumulator I is transferred toaccumulator 2. This is equivalent to subtracting 15 from the differenceremaining in accumulator 2. The machine will then be left with adifference of 24 minutes at the end of cycle 6, 9 minutes at the end ofcycle 5 and minus 6 minutes at the end of cycle 4. This last difierenceappears in the form of the complement 99953. These operations requirethe energization of the relay IS to condition accumulator I to transmitsubtractively and of the relay 2D2 to condition accumulator 2 to acceptthe amount transmitted. The relay IS is energized in cycles 6, 5 and 4,owing to the closure of the contacts 06a, 05a and (34a (Fig. 1a) whilethe relay 2D2 is energized owing to the closure of the contacts 06b, 05band (34b, the circuits including plug connections similar to 40.

During cycle 3 the complement of the minutes digits registered inaccumulator 2 is transferred The amount 53 in accumulator 2 is thecomplement of 6 and the complement of 53 is 6, so that 6 minutes will beentered into the accumulator 3 and added to the actual time inaccumulator 3 to give a rounded-ofi time of 49 hours. This transferrequires the energization of the relay 28 which is eiiected by theclosure of contacts 3Ca. over a circuit including a plug connection 43.The distributor 3D2 is also energized on the closure of contacts 3Cb, sothat accumulator 3 will accept the amount transferred from accumulator2. A plug wire 44 provides for the energization of the distributor 3D2in cycle 3. It will be noted that energization of relay 2S closes itscontacts 28a to energize magnet 2150 and closes its contacts 28b toenergize magnets 2D4 and 2B5.

During cycle 3 relay magnet DB3 is also energized to shift its contactsDR3a (Fig. 1) so that transfer circuits can be completed from strips II'of'accumulator '2, lower contacts 2D0a (now closed), upper plugconnections 2|, right hand contacts DR3a, lower plug connections 2|,upper contacts 3D3a, upper contacts 3D2a (now closed) to magnets CT ofaccumulator 3. The manner in which magnet DB3 is energized will be morefully explained hereinafter.

In cycle 2 the amount in accumulator 3 is printed by the printing bank3. For this purpose the distributor 3Dl is energized on the closure ofcontacts C20 to which its coil is connected by a plug wire 45. A plugconnection 46 connects the distributing relay DB4 to contacts 02b, sothat both the distributor 3D! and the distributing relay DB4 areenergized in cycle 2. This, as previously explained, allows of theamount in accumulator 3 being printed by the printing bani: 3. The relay2R is connected by a plug wire 41 to contacts 02d, so that this relaywill be energized in cycle 2 and will condition accumulator 2 to bereset during cycle 2. These operations are shown opposite cycle 2 inFig. 3.

Relay 2R closes its contacts 2Ra and 2Rb to cause energization of relaymagnets 2D2 and 2D3 respectively and also closes its contacts 2R0 toenergize magnets 2D4 and 2D5 in series. Circuits through the contacts ofthese relays will cause the nines complement of the amount inaccumulator 2 to be added thereto, but this would not involve the entryof the fugitive one from the highest to the lowest order as in such casethere is no passage of the highest order wheel through zero. In order toreset the accumulator correctly to zero, the fugitive unit is added bythe magnet 2F'U (Fig. 1a) which. when energized, trips the tens carrymechanism of the lowest order so that this mechanism will operate in thenormal manner to enter one unit to the lowest order. This magnet has aplug connection I05 to contacts C2a so that it is energized in cycle 2at a time determined by closure of cam contacts I05 which close onceeach cycle at the appropriate time. The cam controlled contacts I06 arecarried by the same shaft that carries the brushes of emitters E3 andEli.

In the last cycle, cycle 1, the contacts Cib close to energize the relay3R whose contacts energize relays 3B2, 3B3, 3B4 and 3D5 so that theaccumulator 3 will be reset. Contacts Cla and Cld also close to energizethe relay IS, and the distributor 2D2. This conditions accumulator l totransmit the nines complement of the adjustment figure and accumulator 2to accept that complement. Thus, the nines complement of the adjustmentfigure is again set up in accumulator 2. Also during this last cyclecontacts Clc through a plug connection cause energization of magnet 3FUto enter the fugitive one in accumulator 3 to zeroize the same, so thatat the completion of the ten cycles accumulator I will contain the ad-Justment figure 15, accumulator 2 will contain the complement of 15,namely, 99944, and accumulator 3 will be clear. A new entry of an amountmay now be again made in accumulator 3 and this amount printed in bank 2and the rounded-off amount in bank 3.

The sequence of operations just described occurs when the minutes partof the time registered in accumulator 3 is from 46 to 59 minutes,inclusive. If this portion of the time is from 31 to 44 minutes,inclusive, a negative difference will be obtained at the end of cycle 5and subtraction will be suppressed in cycle 4. If the minutes part ofthe original time is from 16 to 29 inclusive, the negative diilerencewill be obtained at the end of cycle 6 and cycles 5 and 4 would be idlecycles, while if the minutes portion of the original amount is from 1 to14 inclusive, the negative difierence is obtained at the end of cycle 7and cycles 6, 5 and 4 are idle cycles. In each case the subtraction ofthe adjustment figure is suppressed as soon as a negative difference isobtained, since the presence of a negative difference indicates that thecorrect amount has been obtained for addition to the original time.

Fig. 4 shows the sequence of operations which would occur if theoriginal time had been 48 hours 15 minutes. Cycle 7 takes place aspreviously described, but the addition of fifteen to the complement ofthe adjustment figure is not sufflcient to convert that complement intoa true number, so that accumulator 2 still contains a complement at theend of cycle '7. Accumulator 2 is provided with a pair of contacts 50(Figs. 1a and 2) which are controlled by the highest order wheel in theaccumulator and close if that wheel registers 9 but open if the wheelregisters any other figure. Thus, with the example shown in Fig. 4, thecontacts 50 will be closed at the end of cycle 7 and at the beginning ofcycle 6. Thus, during cycles 6, 5 and 4. circuits are completed throughthe contacts C60, 05c and C40, plug connections 5|, a relay coil 52, thecontacts 50 of accumulator 2 and the distributors 2D4 and 2D5. Theenergization of the two distributors has no effect upon the operation ofthe machine at this time. The coil 52 closes its contacts 52a (top Fig.1a) so that circuits can be completed in each of cycles 6, 5 and 4through contacts CBd, 05d and CM, plug connections IN, the contacts 52aand the distributing relay DB5. This distributing relay opens itscontacts DR5a which are included in the plug connections 22 by which theimpulses representing the complement of the adjustment figure aretransferred from accumulator i to accumulator 2. Since these contactsDR5a are open, the transfer of the complement of the adjustment figureto accumulator 2 will be suppressed in cycles 6, 5 and 4. Thus, theamount registered in accumulator 2 will remain unchanged from the end ofcycle 7 to the beginning of cycle 3. This amount is the complement ofzero, so that zero will be entered in accumulator 3, In other words, theoriginal time will not be altered and will be printed as the roundedoiftime. It will be appreciated that if the minutes portion of the originaltime had been more than fifteen but less than thirty-one, the adjustmentfigure in accumulator i would have been transferred subtractively toaccumulator 2 in cycle 6, since the difference in accumulator 2 wouldonly have become a complement at the end of cycle 6. Under theseconditions cycles 5 and 4 would be idle cycles. In the same way cycle 4alone is an idle cycle if the minutes portion of the original time ismore than 30 and less than 46, while none of the cycles 6, 5 and 4 isidle if the minutes portion of the original time is more than 45.

If the minutes portion of the amount is 15, 30 or 45, the amount addedto it will be zero, since the complement which will be obtained inaccumulator 2 will be the complement of zero under these conditions. If,however, the original time is an exact hour, as is the case in theexample shown in Fig. 5, the complement obtained in accumulator 2 willbe the complement of 15 and will be obtained at the end of cycle 7. Ifno special provision were made, the 15 would be added in cycle 3 to theoriginal time in accumulator 3 to give the rounded-off time of 48 hoursand 15 efcogseo 7 minutes. In order to prevent this incorrect result,provision is made for suppressing the trans fer from accumulator 2 toaccumulator 3 in cycle 4 when both the minutes digits of the originalamount are zero. For this purpose, relay coils TPDI and TPD2 (Fig. 1)are connected by plug connections 53 in parallel with the printingmagnets PR which print the minutes portion of the original amount. Theemitters E6 and Eli! are arranged in the usual manner to transmitimpulses representing the significant digits only and do not transmit animpulse at the zero time in the cycle. If a printing magnet PR is notenergized, the section of the printing mechanisms it controls isautomatically positioned to print zero in the usual way. Thus, if asignificant digit is to be printed by the tens of minutes printingmagnet PR in bank 2, a circuit will be completed through this magnet andwill branch through the magnet TPDi. If, however, the tens of minutesdigit is zero. no circuit will be completed to the related magnet PR. orto the relay coil TPDI. The magnet 'I'PDZ will be energized in a similarmanner if the units minute digit is significant, but not if it is zero,The relays TPDI and TPD2, when energized, close their holding contactsTPDlb and TPD2b respectively to provide holdingcircuits through a switchT2 which is closed during the total taking cycles. This switch T2 mayconveniently be closed by key 15 along with the Mi contacts orseparately closed prior to a total taking operation. Thus, if theminutes portion of the original amount is zero, neither coil TPDI orTPDZ will be energized, but in any other case, one or both of thesecoils will be energized.

These coils are energized during cycle 7 and later in cycle 3 contactsC30 (Fig. 1a) close so as to complete a circuit through connections 108,contacts TPDIa or TPD2a to the distributing relay DR3. This circuit isonly completed if one or both of the relays TPDI and TPDZ is energized.The distributing relay DB3 is energized in cycle 3 if the minutesportion of the original time is not zero but is not energized if theminutes portion of the original time is zero.

The distributing relay DB3 closes its contacts DR3a (Fig. 1) when it isenergized, so as to complete the connections by which the difference inaccumulator 2 is transferred to accumulator 3. With the example shown inFig. 5, the minutes portion of the original time is zero, so that thecontacts DR3a. will not be closed in cycle 3 and the transfer fromaccumulator 2 to accumulator 3 will be suppressed.

Cycles '7, 6, and 4 may be described as differencing cycles, and thenumber of such differencing cycles is equal to the number of times whichthe adjustment figure goes into the next higher unit in the notation ofthe amount to be rounded off. Four cycles are necessary in the examplesjust given, since minutes is a quarter of an hour. If the adjustmentfigure had been minutes, only three differencing cycles would be needed.The total number of cycles could thus be reduced to six by plugconnecting the contacts of the relay C6 in the manner shown for therelay Cl and omitting the plug connections for the relay C1. In asimilar manner, it would be necessary to introduce two further cycles ifthe adjustment figure were 10 minutes.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changesin the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operationmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for rounding off an amount expressed in hours andminutes to the next higher quarter hour, a device settable to represent15 minutes, an accumulator settable to represent the complement of 15minutes, a second accumulator settable to represent the amount to berounded oii, said accumulators being adapted to accumulate hours andminutes as such, means for 111 ansferring the minutes part of the amountin the second accumulator to the first accumulator, means fortransferring the amount in said device to the first accumulator in theform of a complement, cycling means for causing in turn an operation ofsaid first named transferring means and three successive operations ofsaid second transferring means, means operative under control of saidfirst accumulator and said cycling means during each successivetransferring operation for ascertaining whether the amount in the firstaccumulator is a complement, means controlled thereby when the amount isa complement for rendering subsequent operation of said secondtransferring means ineffective, means for transferring the true value ofthe amount standing in the first accumulator to the second accumulatorwhereby there will be added thereto a number of minutes to raise theamount in the second accumulator to the next higher quarter hour, saidcycling means causing an operation of said last named means after saidsuccessive operations have taken place.

2. In a machine for rounding off an amount expressed in hours andminutes to the next higher predetermined even subdivision of an hour, adevice settable to represent the minutes in said even subdivision, anaccumulator settable to represent the complement of said minutes. asecond accumulator settable to represent the amount to be rounded off,said accumulators being adapted to accumulate hours and minutes as such,means for transferring the minutes part of the amount in the secondaccumulator to the first accumulator, means for transferring the amountin said device to the first accumulator in the form of a complement,cycling means for causing in turn an operation of said first namedtransferring means and a plurality of successive operations of saidsecond transferring means, means operative under control of said firstaccumulator and said cycling means during each successive transferringoperation for ascertaining whether the amount in the first accumulatoris a complemci. means controlled thereby when the amount is a complementfor rendering subsequent operatl. of said second transferring meansineffective, means for transferring the true value of thamount standingin the first accumulator to th.. second accumulator whereby there willbe addel thereto a number of minutes to raise the amount in the secondaccumulator to the next higher predetermined even subdivision of anhour, said cycling means causing an operation of said last named meansafter said successive operations have taken place.

3. In a machine for rounding off a amount expressed in hours and minutesto the next higher quarter hour, a device settable to represent 15minutes, a first accumulator settable to represent 15 minutes as anegative amount, a second accumulator settable to represent the amountto be rounded oil, said accumulators being adapted to accumulate hoursand minutes as such, means for transferring the minutes part of theamount in the second accumulator to the first accumulator, means forcausing subtraction of the amount in said device from the firstaccumulator, cycling means for causing in turn an operation of saidfirst named transferring means and three successive operations of saidsubtracting means, means operative under control of said firstaccumulator and said cycling means during each of said three successivesubtracting operations for ascertaining whether the amount in the firstaccumulator is a negative amount, means controlled thereby when theamount is a negative amount for rendering subsequent operation of saidsubtracting means ineffective, means for transferring the true value ofthe negative amount standing in the first accumulator to the secondaccumulator whereby there will be added thereto a number of minutes toraise the amount in the second accumulator to the next higher quarterhour, said cycling means causing an operation of said last named meansafter said successive operations have taken place.

4. In a machine for rounding off an amount expressed in hours andminutes to the next higher predetermined even subdivision of an hour,

a device settable to represent the minutes in said even subdivision, afirst accumulator, a sec ond accumulator settable to represent theamount to be rounded off, said accumulators being adapted to accumulatehours and minutes as such, means for transferring the minutes part ofthe amount in the second accumulator to the first accumulator, means forcausing subtraction of the amount in said device from the firstaccumulator, cycling means for causing in turn an operation of saidfirst named transferring means and a plurality of successive operationsof said subtracting means, means operative under control of said firstaccumulator and said cycling means during each successive subtractingoperation for ascertaining Whether the amount in the first accumulatoris a negative amount, means controlled thereby when the amount is anegative amount for rendering sub-sequent operation of said subtractingmeans ineifective, means for transferring the true value of the negativeamount standing in the first accumulator to the second accumulatorwhereby there will be added thereto a number of minutes to raise theamount in the second accumulator to the next higher predetermined evensubdivision Of an hour, said cycling means causing an operation of saidlast named means after said successive operations have taken place.

FREDERIC VICTOR FREEBORN.

